20 tips to save on laundry

This post comes from Angela Colley at partner site Money Talks News.

A typical American family does about 400 loads of laundry every year -- or about eight loads a week. And it isn't cheap. Laundry detergent alone can cost about 20 cents per load. Add that up and you're spending $80 a year on soap. 

But you don't have to. In the video below, Stacy Johnson explains how you can save 90% or even 100% on detergent. Check it out, then read on for more ways to save on laundry day.

• one bar of soap.
• 3 gallons plus 4 cups of water.
• 1 cup borax.
• ½ cup washing soda.

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Grate the bar of soap with a cheese grater. Drop the pieces into the boiling water and cook until the soap dissolves. Pour 3 gallons of water into a large bucket. Add in the soap and water mixture. Add in 1 cup of borax and half a cup of washing soda. Stir until the ingredients thicken. Use about ¼ cup (the size of a normal laundry detergent cap) per wash cycle.

3. Use less. If you're using store-bought laundry detergent, don't pour in an entire capful. Laundry detergent caps have a line about halfway down -- the amount the manufacturer wants you to use for soiled clothes. See if you can use less and achieve the same result.  Unless my clothes are truly dirty, I only use about 2 tablespoons per load, about half the recommended amount.

4. Don't wash as often. I save the most on laundry by doing less of it. I'll wear the same jeans two days in a row, use the same towel for three showers, and hang up anything I've worn less than a couple of hours. It's all still clean, so why wash it again? I've cut down from five loads of laundry per week to three this way.

5. Don't buy dry-clean-only. A friend of mine buys dry-clean-only linen shirts for work. He goes through five shirts a week. Our local dry cleaner charges $2.50 per shirt, which adds up to $12.50 per week or $600 a year. For half that much, he could buy high-end washable shirts.

6. Buy store-brand detergent in bulk. You'll save money buying laundry detergent in huge sizes from warehouse stores, and you'll save even more buying the store's generic brand.

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